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The Challenge of a Positive Self‐Image in a Colonial Context: A Psychology of Liberation for the Puerto Rican Experience
Author(s) -
Varas-Díaz Nelson,
Serrano-García Irma
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1023/a:1023078721414
Subject(s) - shame , pride , colonialism , context (archaeology) , psychology , positive psychology , social psychology , health psychology , resistance (ecology) , puerto rican , gender studies , cross cultural psychology , sociology , anthropology , public health , ecology , history , political science , medicine , nursing , archaeology , biology , law
Community psychology and the psychology of liberation provide a framework to analyze colonization. Puerto Rico has always been a colony. This experience has direct negative effects on Puerto Ricans' national identities and their emotions. The purpose of this study was to explore emotions associated with Puerto Rican national identities in a sample of 35 high school students. While participating in 4 focus groups, the youths discussed negative and positive emotions associated to their national identities. The most frequent ones were shame and pride. They also identified situations which promoted negative and positive emotions. The role of a community psychology of liberation in understanding these phenomena as well as in embracing resistance to colonization is discussed.